The team has cracked down following the Ray Rice debacle

On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers deactivated defensive player Greg Hardy for the team's game that day against the Detroit Lions. The announcement was made on Sunday morning on the Panthers' website. Hardy played in his team's game last week.

In July, a judge found Hardy guilty of assaulting and issuing threats to ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder. Hardy is currently appealing the ruling, and a jury trial has been set to begin on Nov. 17.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera told the press after the game that deactivating Hardy for the game was in the best interest of the team, according to ESPN. Rivera said that Hardy will return to the team before the start of the trial, although he declined to give specifics. "He will play as we go through this process," Rivera said. "Hopefully, we get it right."

Clearly, Rice's situation now casts a heavy shadow over teams' decision-making. Rice has been suspended indefinitely from the NFL after video released this week showed him hitting now-wife Janay Palmer. An investigation into the NFL's handling of the situation is currently underway, with a growing number of people calling for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to be fired.